


a mother’s eyes

by Buttercup_ghost



Series: the subjectivity of the matter of truth [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Character Interpretation, Alternate Scene, Battle of Hogwarts, But It Is Rancid, Canonical Character Death, Character Analysis, Character Study, Drabble, Gen, Grief/Mourning, I guess???, I think he’s a bastard but I think he’s also very tragic and sad, Regret, Relationship Study, Severus Snape Bashing, Severus Snape Dies, Severus Snape Has a Heart, Sir Your Vibes Are Atrocious, Staring Severus Snape: Tragic Bastard (With A Capital B), This is. Very short, Tragedy, War, Wizarding Wars (Harry Potter), first written in April but edited as day of posting, snape critical but not as intense as I’ve seen tbh, you know I really don’t know how to tag these
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:53:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21878728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buttercup_ghost/pseuds/Buttercup_ghost
Summary: “And the Son of Lily Evans curses you.”.A single tear in foolish eyes. A boy with death as a shadow. A snake bite. Words whispered too late to mean anything.These are the last moments of Severus Snape.
Relationships: Harry Potter & Severus Snape, Lily Evans Potter & Severus Snape, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: the subjectivity of the matter of truth [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1576138
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	a mother’s eyes

The man laid on the ground, breathing ragged, as a boy knelt down in front of him, a vial held up to his eyes. A single tear fell into it, and the boy quirked the vial with a sigh. Something bitter shadowed the man’s expression, so different than the sour looks he always wore. Rueful, eyebrows drawn together, lips open into a breathless laugh. 

“You have your Mother's eyes.”

The child’s voice was desolate, mourning—not for the man in front of him, but something deeper, the what if’s and wishes and wants weaved throughout the universe. Those green, emerald eyes swam with liquid salt, stinging. His mouth was drawn up into a firm line, eyebrows pinched, but expression smooth and unwavering.

“And the Son of Lily Evans curses you.”

Snape's eyes shut, a sad smile tugging on his lips. “I suppose I’ve been a fool, Lily.”

And then it was only a boy and a corpse.

Harry choked, words clogged in his heart, unspoken. His fist clenched, eyes scrunched tightly, lips pressed. Too much to say, too little time. He opened his mouth anyways, teeth clenched and aching.

“I wasn’t finished, damnit.”

Collapsed onto the tile, his hand opening weakly as his tears continued to flow. “...I wasn’t finished.”

Then he laughed, a breathless little thing. “Even in the end, you never listen to me.” 

His voice rang hollow across the cold stone he kneeled upon, his hand wiping his tears, vile clasped tightly. 

He stands up, and continues on, anyways.

There is no time to mourn possibilities; Harry knew that.

Maybe that was the difference between them.

**Author's Note:**

> Severus Snape is a child who refused to grow anything but bitter, a profoundly tragic _bastard_ I will never stop hating, because it hurts too much to do anything else.
> 
> Also, he’s a dick to kids, (not just harry - no one is surprised that he’s a dick in the first book, it’s a well established pattern. He’s also particularly nasty to neville, who has done nothing wrong, ever) and that’s Whack with a Capital W. I feel bad for him, but, like, maybe, _don’t_ be an asshole to literal eleven year olds? Poor Neville hated himself for years, and while Snape wasn’t the only factor in it, he certainly didn’t _help_ any. Have some sympathy! Neville is basically going through what you went though, dude, and _he_ didn’t turn into a giant bastard. Actually, _learn_ from Neville! He managed to find happiness and not die bitter and lonely, so he must be doing something right. Like not being a dick to children.
> 
> Oh god, he can’t hear me, he <strike>has AirPods in</strike> is already dead and butchered post mortem by jk rowling............. tragic
> 
> Seriously though, I really do feel bad for snape. And then I remember how he treated Neville, and just kids in general, and I get angry at him all over again. I have complicated feelings, and I imagine harry would, too. He’s not a black and white character. He’s a tragic bastard. He didn’t deserve what happened to him, and I feel awful that it happened to him, but it doesn’t excuse what he did. Verbally abusing kids is _awful._ I _know_ what it’s like to have a teacher like him, and let me be honest, that was the year I first had suicidal thoughts. It’s the worst. Teachers are influential; you’re taught to listen to them, because they’re supposed to know better, because they’re supposed to be your educators. They teach you things, that’s their whole job, so we tend to differ to their judgement, especially as children. So when a teacher teaches you that you’re worthless, that you’re no good, that you’ll never stop fucking up because you don’t try hard enough even though you’re trying your best and the real issue isn’t with you but the fact that their teaching method doesn’t work for you and they’re not willing to work _with_ you - when they tell you that you’re stupid, you believe them. Their job is to teach. They should know what’s best, shouldn’t they? It’s so harmful for a child to be in that sort of learning environment for these very reasons. I don’t know what to say except YOU SHOULDN’T BULLY A CHILD. Yes, snape is a tragic character. But I really mean it when I say he’s a massive dick, too.
> 
> Everything about Severus Snape hurts me. It hurts that he was hurt as a child. It hurts that he decided to take it out on other children. It hurts to think about him, it hurts to hate him, and it hurts to think I could do anything _but_ hate him. Because I can’t. I really can’t, and it hurts that it’s his own fault I can’t.
> 
> Tragedy does not make a hero. It only makes tragedy, and _that_ is why Harry is strong; because he is a hero that has known tragedy as a second skin, whereas tragedy has only _spoiled_ Snapes mind to bitter.
> 
> But... even so, it’s hard for me not to feel bad for him, when I think of that boy bullied and humiliated, the halfblood prince trying to survive in a house full of blood purity.
> 
> And that hurts, too.


End file.
